On Saturday, the Baton Rouge Unit of the Herb Society of America hosted its 10th annual Herb Day at the LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens. This event featured an herb sale, local vendor pop-ups and educational opportunities.
The Herb Society of America is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the cultivation and use of herbs. This is done through community sharing, research and education across the U.S. The Baton Rouge unit works to share this commitment with the Greater Baton Rouge area.
Missy Young, a co-chair for the planning committee of Herb Day, worked tirelessly throughout the day welcoming people into the event and directing vendors and visitors on where to go. She enjoys Herb Day not because it’s her role, but because it benefits the community.
“It’s a bunch of like-minded people getting out on a pretty day and buying some plants,” Young said. “Hopefully it makes Baton Rouge a more beautiful place. It gets information out about the Herb Society, and we have a lot of knowledge here today to share.”
The sale offered over 60 different varieties of herbs, an abundance of fruits and vegetables and many pollinator plants, providing a little something for everyone’s needs. The event also featured The Baton Rouge Camellia Society’s plant sale, which was rescheduled to the same day in the rose garden.
Herb Day is not just about purchasing plants; it is also an opportunity to educate the public on the importance of native herbs and pollinator plants. The sale featured educational seminars throughout the day, allowing visitors to directly interact with educators and learn about the plants they purchased.
For Kevin Langley, president of the Capital Area Beekeepers Association and vice president of the Louisiana Beekeepers Association, Herb Day is an opportunity to share his passion for beekeeping and the importance of ensuring the safety of bees, along with the extensive research he has aided with since he graduated from LSU.
“Bees are important to our food security,” Langley said. “By learning more about bees, how to save them and help them by not putting pesticides out and supporting the bee efforts, we can help save the bees and help save our food security and us.”
For vendors, the sale brings in both customers and visibility in the Baton Rouge community. Josh Smith, a member of the Bromeliad Society of Baton Rouge, was one of the many vendors present. He felt that the day was a great opportunity for any small business to launch themselves forward.
“Just look at the crowd,” Smith said. “The crowd’s nonstop from 9 to 11 a.m., and then everybody filters back and you get all this face time with thousands of people in one day.”
For many people, including community members Julie and Jeff Booth, this event is the highlight of their year.
“We don’t buy our herbs and vegetables anywhere else,” Julie said. “It’s absolutely better to buy them here because we know they grow them locally. I’d rather buy them from someone local than buy from Lowe’s or Home Depot. I’d rather support LSU and come out here.”
This event is always hosted the last Saturday of February, so be sure to mark your calendar for next year. The biggest piece of advice many people had through the day was to make sure you get to the sale at opening.
“Come early, because there’s so many people here grabbing the plants that they sell out pretty quick,” Langley said. “And there’s a lot of really nice people here to learn from that [you] can have conversations with and learn about how to grow herbs.”
